Minglong

Chapter 335 I don't have it~
Soon after, on the street.

Lightning flashed across the sky intermittently. Ye Yunchi, sword in hand, weaved through the crowd. Only after getting far away from the Hundred Flowers Forest encampment did he turn around and ask:

"How are you doing?"

Xie Jinhuan walked beside him, wearing a cloak. His face, under the bamboo hat, was flushed from the snake venom. He stumbled after stopping.

"Eh?"

Ye Yunchi frowned and quickly supported the man's arm. He did not avoid the heavy body that was leaning towards him, but quickly checked his pulse. He found that the man's body was burning with a raging flame that seemed to burn through his body. Even his skin was burning hot, and his hot breath even carried a faint fragrance that made a woman's blood and qi restless.

Seeing this, Ye Yunchi knew that the venom of the leper locust had fully taken effect. He was about to go back to ask for the antidote when he saw the man leaning against him, whose eyes were still as cold as a deep pool, without the slightest hint of lust. He even tried to separate himself and stand up on his own.

"The venom of the locust and the snake is indeed potent, but humans are born still, it is their nature to be so. They are moved by external things, it is their desire. Therefore, the sages of the past established rites and music, to set forth human norms. Although I cannot escape human nature, I still remember the etiquette taught in books, and I can barely bear it..."

As a Confucian woman, Ye Yunchi was moved by the sight of this young man, who, even when faced with the most potent aphrodisiac in the world, could still restrain his desires with propriety and even knew that men and women should not touch each other. She quickly put her arm around Xie Jinhuan to help him stand firm.
"Suppressing your nature shows your good character, but dragons are inherently lustful, and the lewd locust snake belongs to the spirits of mountains and marshes. Its venom is designed to induce the reproductive instincts of living beings. If you forcibly suppress it, it will inevitably harm your body..."

Xie Jinhuan didn't hold back, but followed her natural instinct to seek a mate. However, forced attraction is never sweet, so she chose a gentler approach, slightly raising her hand at this moment:
"I can really handle it, Senior Ye, you don't need to worry."

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan was almost burning up, how could Ye Yunchi not be worried? She even felt that Xie Jinhuan shouldn't be so calm. She pondered this silently, then suddenly remembered something and asked:
"Did you take 'reproductive pills'?"

"Ok?"

Xie Jinhuan was taken aback, then said righteously and solemnly:
"Senior Ye is joking. I just went back to get my medicine and had a quick meal on the street. Before I even got back to my lodgings, I found that Sister Ye had run off to the Hundred Flowers Forest camp. I didn't even have time to get the medicine. Besides, if I could only withstand this kind of aphrodisiac that tests one's character by relying on external medicine, wouldn't that mean my heart is impure..."

Ye Yunchi was skeptical. After all, the venom of the venomous locust that Madam Han had refined was already the most potent aphrodisiac in the world. Only Buddhist monks could withstand it. Even Lu Wuzhen would be preoccupied with thoughts of his Daoist partner if he were poisoned by it.

This young man is a vigorous and powerful warrior. How could he not have any desire for women if he hadn't taken the "Pill of No More Arousal"?

Ye Yunchi thought Xie Jinhuan must have taken his medicine. As he was secretly observing him, he noticed that the boy's posture was a bit off.

Perhaps it was the phrase "cannot rise again" that stirred the man's mind, or aroused some kind of association. This man clearly hunched his back slightly, trying to cover something up, but a martial artist's energy is too strong; if he were to rise, he could rip his pants open, making it difficult to hide anything...

?

Ye Yunchi glanced down and noticed something was wrong, her cheeks flushing slightly. To prevent the child from embarrassing herself in the street, she moved closer like a female teacher, using her skirt to help cover him up.
"I misunderstood you. Hmm... Calm down, I'll take you to get the antidote."

Xie Jinhuan stood up, looking slightly embarrassed. Seeing that Senior Sister Naigua was pulling him back, he shook his head and said:

"No need. Senior Ye and Sect Leader Han seem to have a grudge. Going to ask for medicine would make me feel inferior, and I might even lose my innocence. I can handle it. I'll go back and rest later, and I'll be fine tomorrow."

Ye Yunchi was half-believing and half-doubting, then, supporting himself on his arm, he walked forward:

“Miss Lin should have a way to suppress it. Where do you live? I’ll take you back.”

"It's not far from Yuezhuo Tower."

Xie Jinhuan accompanied him on his walk, and then asked curiously:
"Speaking of which, why did Sect Leader Han address Senior Ye as Junior Sister just now? Was she also a disciple of the Azure Sword Manor before?"

Ye Yunchi shook his head:
"She has no connection with the Azure Sword Manor. She calls me junior sister because my mother was an abandoned child during the chaos of the Witchcraft Cult and was adopted by the Hundred Flowers Forest. She was exceptionally talented and was made the young master, but before she was married in her teens, she was tricked by a man into leaving Dragon Bone Beach. The Hundred Flowers Forest tried to persuade her to return, but my mother refused. Later, something happened, and my mother left me in Jiangzhou and went back to commit suicide. Her sword was also left in the Hundred Flowers Forest. Alas..."

"..."

Xie Jinhuan blinked, thinking that this was probably a case of starting something and then abandoning it, and it was really hard to comment on.

Ye Yunchi didn't want to talk about these past events anymore, so he asked instead:
"You are of upright character and excellent temperament, so why would you become the leader of the Blood Rain Pavilion? The Blood Rain Pavilion is not a prestigious sect."

Xie Jinhuan didn't hide anything: "I started out as a wandering swordsman, slaying demons and monsters. I used the Blood Rain Pavilion as a front to investigate clues, but people in the martial arts world spread rumors and made me the number one assassin of the Blood Rain Pavilion. After Shen Jinyu died, they even said I was the leader. I figured such a big sect was unwanted, so I went to give it a try, and I actually became the leader. I'm currently helping them to reform and do legitimate business..."

Because the process sounded a bit bizarre, Ye Yunchi was half-believing and half-doubting. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"So, Xie Jinhuan really didn't distinguish right from wrong when he beat you. Blood Rain Pavilion offended Xie Jinhuan, and they probably put you in a position of power just to make you a scapegoat. Although you haven't been purged yet, you can only be Xie Jinhuan's lackey. Remember to be careful. If you have any trouble in the future, come to me anytime, and I'll help you deal with this person..."

"..."

Xie Jinhuan didn't understand why Senior Sister Ye had such a strong prejudice against him, so he asked after a moment's thought:
"Senior Ye, do you know who Master Xie Jinhuan is?"

Ye Yunchi shook his head:
"Anyway, he is an elder of the cultivation path who made great contributions during the chaos of the witchcraft sect and is respected by the people of the world. But you can know a person's face but not their heart. You can't even imagine how many things he has done behind the scenes that have angered both heaven and man. The world is still under the control of these people. Knowing too much may bring disaster, so don't pry into it. In the future, don't trust people easily because of their reputation."

Xie Jinhuan felt that this was referring to the White-Haired Fairy, because Senior Sister Ye looked like she had a lot of bitterness and hatred, so she couldn't make excuses for her. She just nodded slightly and turned her gaze back to the street scene.

Rumble…

Thunder rumbled in the sky, dark clouds pressed down overhead, and the streets were sometimes bright and sometimes dark, seemingly bustling yet like boiling water concealing dragons and serpents.

Seeing that Senior Sister Naigua seemed a bit down, Xie Jinhuan figured it was because something sad had been brought up. After a moment's thought, he said:

"Dark clouds roll like ink, yet fail to obscure the mountains; white rain leaps like pearls, scattering wildly into the boat; a gust of wind sweeps across the land, suddenly dispersing them; when life is at its best, one must... eh?"

?

Ye Yunchi helped the man walk along the bustling street. He had been preoccupied with his own thoughts, but upon hearing the poem, he paused, clearly startled, and turned his head.

"What do you need?"

Xie Jinhuan felt the rhyme was off and the context didn't fit, but her mind was full of "Jinhuan," and she had forgotten the original version, so she awkwardly said:

"I was just rambling on, I don't have much literary knowledge, so I'm just making a fool of myself."

Ye Yunchi is clearly a top-tier version of the first mistress of Chongwen Academy, far more interested in poetry and literature than in cultivation. Upon closer examination:
"These words of yours don't sound like they were just casually recited. You must have come from a scholarly family, right? How did you end up in the martial world?"

Xie Jinhuan shook his head and smiled: "Alas, it's a long story. My father was originally a minor official in the government. I was determined to study when I was three years old. I dabbled in the six arts of a gentleman: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I originally wanted to enter the Danyang Academy, but unfortunately, life is unpredictable. When I was sixteen, my father was suppressed by treacherous officials and exiled to Lingnan. On the way, we encountered bandits, and almost my entire family was wiped out. I ended up wandering the world. Fortunately, I met Miss Lin's elders later, who took good care of me and helped me settle my grudges and get to where I am now..." Because it was all the truth, Xie Jinhuan naturally had no qualms about speaking. He even sighed a little when he thought about his past experiences.

As a female teacher, Ye Yunchi was filled with sympathy upon hearing this story and sighed softly:

"No wonder he is so young yet so resilient. Everyone has their own hardships in life, as long as you can get through them."

"Senior Ye is the same."

Xie Jinhuan nodded and smiled. Passing by a street stall, he noticed Ye Yunchi glancing at the bone flutes for sale. He casually picked one up and brought it to his lips to try it.

"Beep~ Waaah..."

Bone flutes are very primitive musical instruments, now mostly popular in the northern grasslands, with a vast, melancholic, and highly captivating tone.

The street vendor, startled by the sound, sized up the rough-looking martial artist being supported by the elegant female warrior.
"Wow, you're quite the expert, aren't you? You're from the North?"

Xie Jinhuan chuckled lightly: "Having traveled all over the country for many years, I know a little bit, but I can't call myself an expert. Besides, this isn't a northern product. The bones used are from black vultures, which come from Lingnan. The shopkeeper is using the 'Grassland Vulture' brand, which is a bit of a rip-off to outsiders."

The vendor looked surprised: "It's from a spirit bird in the mountains and marshes, how could it possibly sell for two taels of silver? But how did you know it came from the Black Vulture of Lingnan?"

"The tone is wrong. Black vultures scavenge in the southern borderlands and don't fly much, so their bones are very dense. Prairie vultures are said to never land, so their bones are very light. Although the appearance has been altered, making them look similar, this bone flute sounds dull and lacks the right tone. Normally, counterfeits use serpent eagles from Fengzhou to imitate it. The shopkeeper is being a bit too cost-cutting..."

"Ah, this hero is indeed very knowledgeable..."

……

Ye Yunchi stood to the side watching the two talk. As a conservative and chaste Confucian female teacher, she had never seen such a top male model from a nightclub who had been studying since childhood.

After hearing just a few words, Ye Yunchi was completely bewildered. Only after Xie Jinhuan bought the bone flute did he curiously ask:
"You've researched these things too?"

Xie Jinhuan casually replied, "When I was studying at home, I did some light reading in my spare time. Whose music does Senior Ye like?"

"Um... Su Baiyu."

"Really? I have a friend who also likes Su Shi's three essays about Maple Lake, and he just happened to have practiced them..."

As Xie Jinhuan spoke, he brought the bone flute to his lips and began to play "The Song of the Pipa" in the drizzling rain:
"Beep~ Waaah..."

Although it is a pipa piece, the bone flute has a similar timbre to the xun. It lacks the pipa's clear and bright sound, but has a more poignant and melancholic quality, giving people a feeling of being speechless and moved to tears.

After listening for a few moments, Ye Yunchi lifted the white veil of her hat, revealing red lips and eyes that hinted at a heroic spirit. She carefully examined the young swordsman beside her, whose face was slightly flushed. A hint of amazement flashed in her eyes, and she even muttered to herself:

What a stroke of luck...

The ability to effortlessly compose music and play instruments suggests that at least ten years of hard work have been put in behind the scenes…

It's a pity he's so plain-looking, with such an average face that it's hard to remember him. If he were a bit more handsome, even without martial arts skills, he could probably charm nine out of ten women in the world...

But nobody's perfect. If a man has real talent and skills, why should he care about his appearance?

……

To avoid being recognized by the elders like Lü Yan, Xie Jinhuan had indeed concealed his face. While playing the bone flute, he noticed the hint of regret deep in Senior Sister Naigua's eyes and immediately stopped playing, touching his face.

"Senior Ye thinks I'm ugly?"

"Ok?"

Ye Yunchi sensed that this boy might be able to read minds, and quickly shook his head:
"How could that be? A man's worth is judged primarily by his talent and character. How many of the world's greatest heroes are famous for their looks? Besides, you're hardly ugly..."

"That means they think I'm too ordinary."

Xie Jinhuan sighed softly and didn't let anyone support her arm anymore.

"I thought Senior Ye was a knowledgeable and reasonable elder, but I didn't expect him to be just like the women outside, judging people by their appearance..."

"I didn't!"

Ye Yunchi was getting a little anxious, and his speech became slurred. He quickly steadied his arm.

"If I judged people by their appearance, why would I have taken you to the Mountain and Sea Pavilion to broaden your horizons? You deliberately brought this up. I don't think you're unattractive, and as the sage said, a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions..."

Xie Jinhuan shook his head and sighed, stopping at the street corner and gesturing towards the inn:

"We've arrived. I'll head back now. Senior Ye, you should also go back and rest early. After I suppress the snake venom, I'll deliver the medicine to you."

Ye Yunchi noticed that the boy had suddenly become a bit cold, and a sense of unease arose in her heart. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to explain, but she couldn't very well say, "You're so handsome, I don't mind..." After a moment's consideration, she could only nod.
“Alright, I live in Lianyun Pavilion of Yuezhuo Tower. You can come to me anytime if you need anything. Although Qingming Sword Manor is not very famous, I still have some connections in the cultivation world.”

"Thank you for your kindness, senior."

Xie Jinhuan bowed respectfully, then, after a moment's thought, handed the bone flute to Ye Yunchi:
"Senior seemed interested in this earlier. I bought it as a gift for you, but I just couldn't resist showing off my skills. I hope you don't mind?"

"How could that be? You've really thought of me."

Ye Yunchi took the bone flute and watched Xie Jinhuan turn and enter the inn. He lingered at the door for a moment, looking genuinely uneasy, wondering if he had said something wrong and made the talented young hero suspicious...

(End of this chapter)